


Nothing Left

by Outofangband



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angband, Implied/Referenced Torture, but you would have to squint rather hard, could definitely be implications of sexual abuse if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-03-01 06:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18794512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Outofangband/pseuds/Outofangband
Summary: For an anon who requested a prompt based around Morgoth playing pointless games with Maedhros to determine what horror will occur that day.





	Nothing Left

**Author's Note:**

> (prompt given to me over Tumblr where this was originally posted.)
> 
> (I was told I could go as dark as I wanted to but for some reason I did not go quite as dark as that. I hope this is OK! It’s weird, I used to write extraordinarily dark stuff without a blink but I guess now I’m more cautious and nervous so, in general, if you do really want something dark, specifics are good as to what you are OK with!)

Maedhros sat cross legged on the ground, head tilted back against the cool stone leg of the table above him. His eyes were half closed and he shivered when the Vala’s hand brushed against his hair. The Moringotto was pacing behind him, his movements mockingly thoughtful and patient. He was deciding something and Maedhros knew he would not like whatever the conclusion to this was. Nevertheless, the wait in and of itself was also miserable. Maedhros’s toes were curled and his nails dug into his palms, trying in whatever ways he could do hide his fear.   
     The shadow at the edge of his peripheral vision paused and Maedhros’s heart sank. He closed his eyes all the way and stifled a breath.  
     "Nelyafinwë…?“ this was spoken in an almost sincerely curious tone, as though the speaker was truly awaiting Maedhros’s answer but the elf could practically feel the glint in his tormentor’s eyes and was not fooled, "I have a proposition.”  
    This was said as though it was a novel idea when in reality, the Dark Vala said something to that effect several times a week. Maedhros made a quick gesture with his head to show that he was listening, as though he had a choice, and waited.  
    “Tell me the number of steps in this fortress and I will not put you back in your cage for three days.”  
    Maedhros’s eyes widened in indignation and fear. He hated accepting any sorts of deals from the Moringotto but on the other hand, there was no way to opt out of this game, refusing to answer would be akin to losing and he suspected the Vala would do something worse than simply throwing him back in his cage if he lost.  
    “How would I know that?” he whispers, flinching against the soft laughter he feels before he hears.The hand brushes through his hair again.   
     "My dear little prince,“ at times the Dark Lord liked to remind Maedhros mockingly of his failed kingship but usually, with the Vala himself being the king, Maedhros was merely the prince again, "That is part of the game. You are to offer me a guess. You have seen the fortress from the outside, I believe, and you have been up and down a few flights of stairs. Make an estimate.” The voice feels right next to Maedhros’s ears though he knows that Morgoth is still standing upright.  
    Maedhros frowns and grits his teeth but lets his annoyance dissipate within moments. It is beyond pointless and will only further his exhaustion.For another minute or so he debates internally whether or not he should actually put an effort into guessing. Very rarely was he correct when he gave answers to the Vala’s convoluted tests and games but on the rare occasions he was right (he had remembered, for example, the number of the jars on Mairon’s top shelf and calculated the total amount of injuries inflicted to a various spot on his body), Morgoth kept his word. And despite how horrible it was to have to sit here, chained up in the Vala’s chambers, he did not want to go back in his cage. It was not as though being forced back in there meant that Morgoth would refrain from hurting him, it just meant that the limited space gave him less room to heal and recover.   
    Maedhros tried to recall the memory of being half dragged, barefoot down the stone steps. He had not counted them, of course he had not. He tilted his head back again and sighed in frustration. This really was pointless. It was not as though giving a close guess would help him any. If the answer was 2400 and he guessed 2370, he would be given the same punishment as if he had guessed 240.  
    “3200,” he finally said, his heart pounding. There was no reply for nearly a minute. Maedhros bit back another few words.  
    “An admirable try,” the Vala drawled and Maedhros’s heart sank. It was not as though he was expecting to be right but…   
    A rustle of robes and a soft hand on his back. Morgoth murmured something and the chain around his wrist was undone. Maedhros’s hand twitched but he did not dare to move it, even as pain shot through his newly freed limb.  
    “Get up,” Morgoth said softly and once again Maedhros could feel his glee. It took awhile to get to his feet, he didn’t want to add to his tormentor’s satisfaction by falling over.  
    “Go ahead then,” he said quietly, “Put me back in my cage.” The small words of defiance were mitigated, Maedhros felt, by the fact that he could not bear to look up from the ground.More quiet laughter made the sparse hairs on the back of Maedhros’s neck stand on end.  
    “You misunderstand me, Nelyafinwë,” Morgoth said, reaching a clawed hand down to cup Maedhros’s chin, “I said that should you answer correctly, I would not put you in there. I did not say you would have to return as soon as you answered wrongly. Indeed, for a penalty that is too mild ,I believe. We will have to try something else, will we not?” His nails dug into Maedhros’s skin, “Actions have consequences and the purpose of a punishment is to emphasize that.”  
    Once again Morgoth paused to think, his eyes glittering with malice and his hand now gripping Maedhros’s arm.It did not take him nearly as long to come up with a proper punishment, however. It never did. And as Maedhros was lead out into the main room of the Vala’s chambers where some of the worst of deeds took place, he thought bitterly that there were dozens of things that he had done that were more worthy of a punishment.


End file.
